According to reports, today (Thursday), the US Air Force attacked in Afghanistan and launched the largest non-nuclear bomb in its possession. The bomb, which weighs 9,500 kg, exploded in the Nangarhar Province in eastern Afghanistan.

The GBU-43, known as the Mother of All Bombs, is the largest conventional bomb in the US military and the second most powerful in the world. According to the reports, the bomb targeted ISIS. This is the first time the bomb has been used in combat.

The Mother of All Bombs Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News

GBU-43 Photo credit: Reuters/ Channel 2 News

The huge bomb must be flown with the help of the large Hercules transport aircraft. After its release from the plane, a special parachute is opened to slow down the bomb's speed. At a predetermined altitude above the ground, the bomb explodes and thus significantly increases the destructive effect.

Area of bomb drop Photo credit: CNN/ Channel 2 News

“We targeted a system of tunnels and caves that ISIS fighters used to move around freely, making it easier for them to target US military advisers and Afghan forces in the area,” stated White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. “The United States takes the fight against ISIS very seriously and in order to defeat the group we must deny them operational space, which we did. The United States took all the precautions necessary to prevent civilian casualties and collateral damage as result of the operation.”